Chlorine & Derivatives

Modern production process and new value creation

The Chlorine & Derivatives segment is divided into the business areas of chlorine, chlorine derivatives, MCAA and phosphorus and naphthalene derivatives. Chlorine is one of the most important feedstocks for the chemicals industry. And because of its disinfecting action, it is also used for water treatment applications. We manufacture chlorine for industrial customers in sectors such as petrochemicals, water management and the food industry, and also for commercial uses such as in swimming pools and other sports facilities. PCC Rokita SA is not only an important supplier of chlorine as a basic input material; we also develop new applications and have extended our chlorine value chain, for example, through the construction of a production plant for monochloroacetic acid (MCAA). We have switched over our chlorine production systems entirely to modern and environmentally friendly membrane technology.

What is chlorine?

Chlorine (Cl) is a chemical element with the atomic number 17. In nature, chlorine does not occur in its elemental form, but only in compounds, such as chlorides, where chlorine appears as an anion. The most well-known chloride is sodium chloride (table salt). Chlorine is typically produced through chlor-alkali electrolysis, which uses an aqueous sodium chloride solution as the starting material. Since April 2015, PCC Rokita SA’s chlorine production has been completely converted to the membrane electrolysis process. With this method, the end products, especially chlorine, are obtained in the same purity as with the traditional amalgam process. However, it requires significantly less energy input. As a result, PCC Rokita SA can reduce CO₂ emissions by 750 kilograms per ton of caustic soda produced.

Application spectrum

Chlorine is not just one of the most used feedstocks in the chemicals industry, it is also a constant presence in our every-day life. Because of its disinfecting affect, for example, chlorine is now regarded as indispensible in swimming pools as a means of effectively protecting bathers from germs. The Chlorine production unit of PCC Rokita also manufactures chlorobenzene, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide and caustic soda (the aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide).

Hydraulic acid is used, for example, in the production of sugar. Caustic soda serves, among other things, as a degreasing agent and also as a rinsing agent for bottles, equipment and apparatus. Sodium hypochlorite is employed as an antiseptic to boost the antibacterial properties of disinfectants. Chlorine is also used within PCC Rokita in the manufacture of propylene oxide (PO) for the production of polyols, and in the Phosphorus and Naphthalene Derivatives business unit of our Specialty Chemicals segment. There, phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus oxychloride are manufactured with the aid of chlorine.

At the end of 2016, we have also commissioned our production plant for monochloroacetic acid (MCAA) at our chemicals site in Brzeg Dolny. MCAA is used in the food and beverage industries and also for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, body care products, cosmetics, dyestuffs and crop protection products.

Phosphorus and Naphthalene Derivatives

Phosphorus Derivatives from PCC and Their Applications
Our range of phosphorus derivatives is based on the in-house production of phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus oxychloride. These serve as plasticizers and flame retardants in plastics and paints; in metal surface treatment, they act as corrosion inhibitors, among other things; they are also used as additives for hydraulic oils. Conveyor belts used in mining, for example, contain phosphorus-based plasticizers and flame-retardant substances, while floor coverings achieve the desired flexibility through our plasticizers. Our phosphorus derivatives are used in the following industries:

Polyurethane industry (production of rigid and flexible foams)
Automotive industry
Furniture industry (furniture components, office furniture)
Plastics, paints and coatings
Mining industry
Pharmaceuticals industry
Chemicals industry

Naphthalene Derivatives from PCC and Their Applications
Our naphthalene derivatives are used in the construction industry as well as in the plastics and textile industries. In the construction industry, they improve the workability of fresh concrete and the production of gypsum boards as additives. Their use as superplasticizers in fresh concrete is particularly important. They help reduce water requirements, significantly lowering transportation costs for ready-mix concrete. Additionally, they increase the final strength of the concrete. This is because they improve the flow behavior of the concrete without the need for excessive water addition, which would otherwise be necessary for easier workability of the cement-sand-gravel-water mixture and would impair strength. In the production of gypsum boards for interior construction, the use of such superplasticizers also saves water and energy. In the plastics and textile industries, naphthalene derivatives are used as additives in the production of synthetic rubber and for dyeing processes.

Our products

For more information on our products, please visit PCC’s extensive product portal on www.products.pcc.eu containing more than 1,300 products and chemical formulations for numerous industrial applications.